Effect of the COVID‐19 pandemic on unmet healthcare needs after hospital discharge in acute respiratory failure survivors: A multicenter prospective cohort study

Abstract

Survivors of acute respiratory failure (ARF) have complex healthcare needs postdischarge, frequently resulting in unmet needs. This prospective multicenter study explores the association between COVID‐19 status and unmet healthcare needs in survivors of ARF following hospital discharge. We analyzed patient characteristics and unmet healthcare needs by COVID‐19 status using a multivariable regression model with propensity weights. Among 195 patients in the final analysis, 54% were COVID‐19+, 53% were female, 42% were non‐White, and the median (interquartile range [IQR]) age was 54 (42–63). The median (IQR) percentage of unmet healthcare needs was 26% (17%–36%), with follow‐up appointments accounting for most unmet needs. Unmet medication needs were found to be very low at 6%. Despite the challenges in healthcare delivery during the COVID‐19 pandemic, our data suggest COVID status had no observable effect on unmet healthcare needs for ARF survivors, after controlling for patient baseline and clinical status.